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Hard work doesn’t stop for Monash Olympian Heming Hu

James Wong

Monash Science and Education student Heming Hu isn’t taking
any time off after representing Australia in Table Tennis at his first Olympic
games.

Hu is currently playing at the World ITTF Table Tennis Open
in the Czech Republic and will be competing throughout Europe in the coming
months.

Reaching the Olympics fulfilled a childhood goal of Hu’s and
he said the Olympics were the best experience of his life.

"Playing in the Olympic Games this year was a goal I
have had since my childhood years and to finally - after so many unsuccessful
attempts - have made it, is unbelievable.”

“The experience being in the Olympics is unreal, playing
your sport in front of many thousands against the world’s best.”

A highlight of the Olympic experience for Hu was getting to
mix with and see other world-class athletes in action, especially superstar
Usain Bolt and Australian basketballer Patty Mills.

A self-proclaimed joker away from the tables, Hu earned the
nickname ‘Mr Impersonator’ from the Australian Olympic team for his
impressions, including a spot-on rendition of fellow Olympian Rafael Nadal.

Hu started playing table tennis at age seven after following
his brother into the sport. He made his international debut at the World Junior
Championships in 2008. His career highlights include representing Australia at the
2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.

Along the way Hu picked up more than his fair share of
superstitions. He has to tie his shoe laces extremely tightly before a game,
wipe his hand on the table every point, and wear the same shirt he wins in the
next day.

But it is not just good luck that gets results for Hu. When
playing in Europe Hu trains for five hours a day and when back in Melbourne he
has to balance his training and study towards becoming a science teacher.

“I study whenever I am not practicing and sleeping and this
tough, tight scheduling is the key to me completing my studies as well as
getting sufficient training.”

All that hard work is working towards Hu achieving his goal of qualifying for as many Olympics as he can and becoming the Australian singles champion.